Bolly on brink of
BOLLINGTON continued their winning momentum following their first victory of the season last week when they made the trip to Cheadle Hulme.
It proved a frustrating afternoon for both sides early on as the weather ensured several stoppages in play, neither side able to seize the initiative.
The stoppages saw the match reduced to 78 overs. Cheadle Hulme had won the toss, and unsurprisingly choose to field first, a decision which immediately proved successful as the ex-Bollington bowler Mo Ali removed Harri Dickinson for just two to give the home side the early advantage.
A tidy partnership between Rick Hough and Nathan Edgar steadied proceedings as a calm and composed innings saw the away side pass 50 after 20 overs.
With the reduced over impacting the impetus of the match, Bollington needed to kick on and there was some great running between the wickets until Edgar pushed for one to many as he was ran out for 29.
Jake Dickinson (8) made his return following a short spell away from the club and hit a couple of boundaries before losing his wicket in the middle overs.
South African Kippie was next in and immediately crashed several boundaries to carry Bollington to 100 of 27 overs, and gave the away side a great advantage.
Hough soon brought up his first 50 of the season with yet another controlled display of batting, closely followed by Kippie who scored at more than one run a ball for his half century.
Both batsmen continued to score freely as the run rate was ever increas- ing as the two sides passed the 150 mark after the 34th over.
Kippie was then bowled for 66 and saw the away side just five runs away from the 200 mark, and maximum batting points.
Hough took his side over the mark with a graceful 86 not out, before declaring his side with a score of 204 off 42 overs.
Cheadle Hulme’s innings was very stop start after tea, as the rain clouds came in and saw both sides waiting for it to clear up.
The sides got back on and Bollington took the early advantage as Kippie took is first wicket of the afternoon following a superb diving catch from Horsfield in the slips.
Dickinson also joined proceedings, removing the other Cheadle Hulme opener, this time caught in the slips by Plant, which saw the away side with the early advantage at 2-2 after two overs.
Both opening bowlers continued to terrorise as the home team could not get on top of the attack and wickets fell as the overs passed. Kippie (4-14) took three more wickets in successive overs and Dickinson (2-20) took one more to leave the hosts at 40-6 after 14 overs.
Joe Binder continued where he left off the previous week, taking a wicket within his first over to leave Bollington needing three wickets for victory.
An over later, with victory looking almost guaranteed, the heavens opened once more, which proved to be the last play in the game as the visitors came agonisingly close to victory. Another great performance from Bollington sees them sit in sixth position at this early point in the season.
The following day saw a repeat of the 2015 Cheshire Shield Final as Bollington hosted Timperley in the first round of the Cheshire Cup. The home side batted first first scor- ing 204, whilst the visitors could only manage 180 and saw Bollington through to the next round. Edgar with a half century for the hosts was the pick of the performers.